Franz Benteler, 1925-2010: ‘Ambassador of Music for Chicago’

Franz Benteler and the Royal Strings was a popular act in the city for several decades

March 15, 2010|By Trevor Jensen, Tribune reporter

There was a time in Chicago when it didn't get much classier than dinner at the Consort, a restaurant atop the Continental Plaza Hotel on North Michigan Avenue.

In addition to the elegant setting and fine food — often flambeed tableside — what gave the room its flair was violinist Franz Benteler. With his group the Royal Strings, Mr. Benteler offered a crowd-pleasing blend of waltzes and popular music seven nights a week.

Among his biggest fans was the late Mayor Richard J. Daley, who enlisted Mr. Benteler to play for almost every dignitary who came to town in the late 1960s and '70s.

"Mayor Daley called him the ambassador of music for Chicago, and he certainly was," said Carl Linden, a longtime member of the Royal Strings.

Mr. Benteler, 84, died Friday, March 12, at Northwest Community Hospital in Arlington Heights as a result of a massive stroke, said his wife, Maria. He was a resident of Arlington Heights.

A working musician nearly all his life, Mr. Benteler maintained a busy performance schedule right until he retired in 2007. He played at the Blackstone Hotel and the Old Heidelberg Restaurant on Randolph Street in the Loop before starting a two-decade run at the Consort, on the 16th floor of what is now the Westin Michigan Avenue, around 1963.

Clad in tails and a distinctive red sash, he and four other violinists fronted a five-piece backup band in everything from classical numbers to show tunes and classics from the American songbook, Linden said. Later, soft rock and easy listening numbers were added to the mix.

A trip to Mexico introduced him to the idea of strolling musicians, and from then on he and the Royal Strings would roll out into the dining room every night, said his daughter Kristine. He was an early advocate of the mobile microphone and maintained a steady stream of jokes and conversation as he went from table to table.

During breaks, the musicians would jump into taxis and make appearances at other downtown ballrooms and restaurants, Linden said.

"He found a way to mass-produce himself on a Saturday night," Linden said.

Daley loved Mr. Benteler's act. At his request, Franz Benteler and the Royal Strings helped the city welcome world leaders, including Japan's Hirohito and Egypt's Anwar Sadat as well as several presidents.

Mr. Benteler was born in Hamburg, Germany. His father came to the U.S. first, and Franz joined him when he was 5. He lived first in New Jersey and came to Chicago when he was 9.

He took up the violin at Lane Tech High School's storied music program and went on to get a master's degree in music in violin from the Chicago Conservatory of Music, said his daughter. For a time he was a violinist with the San Antonio Symphony Orchestra.

He practiced scales daily, and while his most often performed songs were numbers like the "Anniversary Waltz" and "Edelweiss," he was also adept with the most difficult classical pieces, Linden said.